Resources

Waste Justice

The Dish Project’s work is guided by waste justice, but what is exactly is waste justice?

According to the Dish Project…

Waste justice frames waste management as an ethical and political issue and addresses the differentiated responsibilities and disproportionate impact of communities involved in the creation and disposal of waste. This framing allows us to be critical of our disconnect from waste and habits of consumption, as well as promote the health and wellness of all beings now and in the future.

Waste justice creates a space in which individuals can critically evaluate the anthropocentric systems and institutions in place that perpetuate current waste management practices. Conventional and widely used waste management systems such as the use of landfills, incineration, and ocean dumping cause pollution, land degradation, human health problems, and threaten the wellness of wildlife and biodiversity. These systems maintain consumer disconnect from the waste we create by removing it from our possession and shifting the responsibility of its disposal to others. These others are often marginalized and racialized communities and are affected disproportionately by the systems in place and are unable to benefit from ecological resources as a result. This challenges our ability to reflect on and consider the negative consequences and implications that our waste has once it leaves our hands.

Sustainable waste management systems include closing the loop, and engaging in the shared economy, the zero waste movement, upcycling, and reuse. Environmental justice and waste justice go hand in hand, and the scope of waste justice allows for us to be critical of why typical consumption patterns are considered normal in today’s society and how consumption habits can affect other beings and systems unjustly. Waste justice entails a shift in society’s views and values and allows all beings to benefit from an environment that promotes greater and more sustainable wellness physically, spiritually, economically, and socially.

Sustainable Event Guide (Created by Sustainable Concordia)

“The Sustainable Event Guide (SEG) was developed to help you find the resources and services to make your events as sustainable as possible. It is a document filled with guidance, resources, and simple advice about organizing an event that benefits the community, promotes ethical purchasing, and reduces waste. For some, this guide may simply act as an information resource about environmentally and socially responsible retailers and/or as a guide in reducing the waste produced at an event. For those who have never organized a big event, this guide may act as a framework for the “how to” of organizing. Regardless of past experience in event organizing, we suggest browsing through the entire guide – it may inspire new ideas or stir up old ones.” — Sustainable Concordia

Waste at Concordia

To learn more about how Concordia University deals with waste, including items eligible for recycling and composting, as well as where to find disposal bins, visit their website by clicking here.